Help! Discharging batteries

chronix

Active member
I don't fly often as my work schedule doesn't allow it (I mostly fly my heli). I've been discharging my batteries by going idle up and negative pitch and letting them run for about 5 minutes. Is this ok?

I don't want to lose a battery due to what we used to call puffing, is there a better way?
 

shadeyB

Legendary member
I don't fly often as my work schedule doesn't allow it (I mostly fly my heli). I've been discharging my batteries by going idle up and negative pitch and letting them run for about 5 minutes. Is this ok?

I don't want to lose a battery due to what we used to call puffing, is there a better way?
Best way is to fly them and have fun 👍
you could discharge with your batter charger if you have that option
keep your Batteries around/above 3.6v
 

Merv

Site Moderator
Staff member
The basic idea is not to store the battery fully charged nor discharged, the exact storage level is not that important, just a middle level. The storage function bring the battery to a mid charge level and balance the cells so they are at the same level.
 

joelspangler

Active member
To discharge, I usually skip my charger and use my aokoda 150w dischargers which only cost like 15-20 dollars. They are faster than most chargers, which can only discharge at like 20-40 watts. The aokoda units are excellent cell meters too - I always have one with me to check voltage after a flight to see if I can get another couple of minutes out of the pack, or to help me remember which packs I've used and which ones I've skipped. For smaller batteries you can discharge without hooking up the light bulbs - it's just much less than the 150w discharge rage without them. Another option I'm going to try soon is the URUAV UR4, which I recently ordered for less than $10 bucks. That one can also do single cell lipos, and looks like it might be easier to throw in a pocket to take with me.

Someone earlier in this thread mentioned 3.6 volts as a storage voltage, which I believe to be a bit low. While the "best" voltage to store your lipos at is something that could probably start a war, most agree that it's somewhere between 3.7 and 3.85 volts. I usually check new batteries when I get one and they've always fit in that range. If I need to top off my battery to get it to storage or need to discharge, I always set the voltage to 3.85.